Kendal businessman John Sherlock is not letting the postponement of April’s Manchester Marathon get in the way of his plans to raise money for a Cumbrian charity.
John, 55, of Larch Grove, was due to compete in the marathon to raise cash for Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service (CADAS).
But when it had to be postponed until October due to the coronavirus pandemic John decided he would still run 26 miles – on a treadmill in his garage at home.
The challenge will begin early on Saturday morning (April 4) and John expects it will take around four hours to complete.
He predicted it would be ‘tortuous’, adding: “When you are running a marathon one of the things that keeps you going is the crowd and having the other runners to talk to. When you are running in a race as well supported as the Manchester Marathon, you end up talking to everyone and before you know it five miles has gone by in the blink of an eye.
“Twenty-six miles on a treadmill is likely to feel like 32 miles!”
He added: “I have done a few marathons in the past and have always raised money for the St. James’s Place Foundation, the charitable arm of the financial management network my company is part of.
“But this time I just wanted to do something for a local charity and I know of CADAS because its director Leigh Williams and I are both members of the Kendal chapter of Business Network International (BNI).
“CADAS offers a great service. The work it does to support those with addiction and their families and carers is really valuable.”
John originally set himself a target of raising £1,000 for CADAS through a Virgin Money Giving page and the current total stands at £580 without Gift Aid. “I want to thank everyone who has sponsored me – it is much appreciated,” said John.
He will be assisted on Saturday by his wife, Sue, who will be supplying him with drinks during his 26-miles challenge.
“My treadmill has a bit of a squeak because I use it so much. The squeak drives Sue crazy so I think on Saturday she will probably be wearing ear plugs!”
To sponsor John on his treadmill challenge go to: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnSherlock5
